The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s SGM in New Delhi has been adjourned to avoid running afoul of the Supreme Court, which will hear eligibility issues on Monday

The Board of Control for Cricket in India adjourned its Special General Meeting in New Delhi on Sunday as the Supreme Court is likely to give directions whether ex-board chief, N Srinivasan, (in pix) can be chosen to attend a crucial ICC meeting.(AFP)

The Indian cricket Board’s Special General Meeting (SGM) in New Delhi was adjourned on Sunday after members felt any decision could run afoul of the Supreme Court, a day before it hears the matter.

The SGM has now been scheduled for Wednesday. The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has sought the Apex court’s opinion on eligibility norms to send a representative for this month’s crucial International Cricket Council meeting. A section of the BCCI wants to pick controversial former president, N Srinivasan, who also came for the SGM.

There was fresh controversy after BCCI CEO, Rahul Johri, skipped the SCM, held at a New Delhi five-star hotel. Johri’s role is seen as crucial due to the tug-of-war between the board members and the court-appointed Committee of Administrators. Johri’s absence reportedly irked the BCCI members and the CoA, which has been tasked to implement the Lodha panel recommendations.

Johri reportedly sent an e-mail to Amitabh Chaudhary saying he would not be at the SGM as he had to attend IPL matches at the weekend, in Bangalore and Mumbai.

An official at the SGM said some members didn’t back the move to choose Srinivasan, the previous ICC president as well, for the world body’s meetings without a clarification from the court. “They did not want to annoy the court, so it was decided to adjourn the meeting,” the official said.

“The meeting was adjourned as SC is hearing the matter. Since there are legal implications, Amitabh Chaudhary, joint secretary, announced an adjournment,” former Saurashtra unit head, Niranjan Shah, told reporters.

CK Khanna, the acting Board president, said, “It was agreed we should wait for the SC order.” He denied there was difference of opinion among the members.

The ICC meeting is due to ratify a rollback of the controversial Big Three revenue model piloted by Srinivasan in 2014 that guaranteed India, England and Australia the lion’s share of the world body’s revenues. The BCCI is staunchly opposing that.

Eligibility debate

The CoA had said Srinivasan didn’t meet the tenure or age criteria as laid down by the Lodha panel report. However, a BCCI official said: “We believe we can send anyone as a representative as the recommendations’ reference is only for office-bearers.”

The meeting was attended by most of those rendered ineligible by the Lodha recommendations. It was also attended by Arun Thakur, brother of former BCCI president, Anurag Thakur, on behalf of the Himachal association. None from the Delhi unit attended, as per directions from Justice Vikramjit Sen, DDCA’s court-appointed administrator.

Johri had been tasked by the CoA to keep the committee apprised of decisions taken in the SCM. “All communications between the office-bearers and any employees/retainers/consultants of the BCCI shall be copied to the CEO. The CEO shall keep the Committee of Administrators fully apprised of the actions being taken by the existing office bearers and may, for that purpose, call for any information/documents from any person that he considers necessary,” the CoA had said in the directive.